Today, the scientific journal Genes and Development has published the findings of a study performed by Dr. Libera Berghella, describing a new molecular mechanism regulating the muscle fiber maturation process and its response to nerve-transmitted signals. These studies, while having no therapeutic application yet, represent a major step forward an improved knowledge of the muscle tissue function.

The research work was performed at Prof. Giulio Cossu’s laboratory, together with Dr. Luciana De Angelis, within Fondazione Parco Biomedico San Raffaele di Roma, in collaboration with Prof. Barbara Wold’s team from the Caltech Institute of Pasadena, California. The manuscript, entitled A highly conserved molecular switch regulates myogenin repression in post-natal muscle development, is authored by Libera Berghella, Luciana De Angelis, Tristan De Buysscher, Ali Mortazavi, Stefano Biressi, Sonia V. Forcales, Dario Sirabella, Giulio Cossu and Barbara Wold.

From a biological standpoint, muscle tissue is a special set of cells exhibiting a similar structure and function, regulating the body voluntary and involuntary movements. It consists of three types, differing in terms of structure, function and location: striated muscle tissue, voluntary, allowing to move bone segments; smooth muscle tissue, involuntary, allowing to contract blood vessels and visceral organs, and the cardiac muscle tissue, also striated but involuntary. Muscle tissue, consisting of muscle fibers, receives signals from the central nervous system through nerves, which in turn are part of the peripheral nervous system.

Fondazione Parco Scientifico San Raffaele di Roma is a significant biomedical research unit in Rome, established thanks to the Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with Unicredit Group and Fondazione San Raffaele di Milano. Located approx. 15 km south of Rome, within the Castel Romano natural reserve, the Parco is a modern center at the forefront of scientific research in regenerative medicine, with nine research groups focusing on the cell therapy of myopathies and other genetic conditions, connective tissue engineering, cancer differential therapy, neurodegenerative disease and biomedical quality control. Thanks to its top quality facilities and services and outstanding human resources, the Parco is a major national and international center of reference for the development of basic research and biomedical, regenerative products.